Peter Explains His Actions
1The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
4Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
8“I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
9“The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
11“Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
15“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with11:16 Or in water, but you will be baptized with11:16 Or in the Holy Spirit.’ 17So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
18When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
The Church in Antioch
19Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
27During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
彼得的解釋
1使徒和猶太全境的弟兄姊妹都聽說外族人接受了上帝的道。 2彼得一回到耶路撒冷，嚴守割禮的信徒就指責他： 3「你竟然去未受割禮之人的家，還和他們一同吃飯！」
4彼得就把事情的經過一一向他們解釋，說： 5「我在約帕城禱告的時候，看見一個異象，有個東西好像一大塊布，四角吊著從天上降到我面前。 6我仔細一看，見裡面有四腳的牲畜、野獸、爬蟲和飛禽。 7接著，我聽見有聲音對我說，『彼得，起來，宰了吃！』 8我說，『主啊，這可不行！我從未吃過任何污穢不潔之物！』 9那從天上來的聲音又說，『上帝已經潔淨的，你不可再稱之為不潔淨。』 10這樣一連三次，然後一切都被收回天上去了。 11就在那時候，有三個從凱撒利亞來的人到我住處的門口來找我。 12聖靈吩咐我跟他們同去，不要猶豫。就這樣，我和這六位弟兄一同到了那人的家。 13他告訴我們天使如何在他家中向他顯現，並對他說，『你派人去約帕，請一個叫西門·彼得的人來。 14他有話告訴你，能使你和你的全家得救。』
15「我開口講話時，聖靈降在他們身上，跟當初降在我們身上的情形一模一樣。 16我就想起主的話，『約翰用水施洗，但你們要受聖靈的洗。』 17既然上帝賜給他們的恩賜，與賜給我們這些信主耶穌基督之人的一樣，我是誰，怎能攔阻上帝？」 18眾人聽了便安靜下來，轉而歸榮耀給上帝，說：「如此看來，上帝把悔改得永生的機會也賜給了外族人。」
安提阿的教會
19司提凡殉道後，信徒們因受迫害而四散到各處，遠至腓尼基、塞浦路斯和安提阿，他們只向那裡的猶太人傳福音。 20不過，有些塞浦路斯和古利奈的信徒到了安提阿之後，也向希臘人傳講主耶穌的福音。 21主的能力伴隨著他們，有許多人相信並歸向了主。
22耶路撒冷教會的人聽到這消息後，就派巴拿巴去安提阿。 23他到了，看見上帝所賜的恩典後很高興，就勸勉他們要全心地忠於主。
24巴拿巴是個被聖靈充滿、信心堅定的好人。那時信主的人大大增加。 25他又到大數去找掃羅， 26找到後，便帶他回安提阿。他們在教會待了一年之久，教導了許多人。門徒被稱為「基督徒」就是從安提阿開始的。
27當時，有幾位先知從耶路撒冷下到安提阿。 28其中一位名叫亞迦布，他得到聖靈的啟示，站起來預言天下將有嚴重的饑荒。後來，這事果然在克勞狄執政期間發生了。 29門徒決定各盡所能，捐款救濟住在猶太境內的弟兄姊妹。 30他們捐完後，委託巴拿巴和掃羅將款項送交當地教會的長老。
